Leading member of the Maharashtra Congress Padmakar Valvi defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, dealing a serious blow to the party. In Mumbai, party leader Ashok Chavan and state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule were present at the event held for Valvi's induction into the saffron party, reported ANI. 

According to the report, Valvi's defection came at a critical moment, as Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is about to arrive in the Nandurbar region of Maharashtra on Tuesday. Valvi, a well-known member of the Congress from the tribal-dominated area of Nandurbar, had represented the area as an MLA three times.